Cover Story
Unexcused absences: There aren’t enough substitutes locally to fill in for every absent teacher, and schools are struggling to find solutions
It’s early on a Thursday morning in May, and a group of nearly 30 eighth graders at Tommie Kunst Junior High School have already settled into their seats, pulled out their math books, and are listening to the day’s lesson. Anyone who has ever attended a public school already knows what the classroom looks like:…
Some county residents urge supervisors to support Green New Deal
Amid the county’s evaluation of proposed oil and gas projects, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors is set to discuss whether to pass a resolution supporting proposed federal legislation aimed at curbing climate change. At the supervisors’ meeting on May 21, 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann, with 1st District Supervisor Das Williams’ support, made…
Santa Maria delays decision on joining Monterey Bay Community Power
As Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) continues to expand southward and throughout most of San Luis Obispo County, Santa Maria is weighing whether to join the public electricity provider. MBCP services Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties, with cities throughout SLO County also joining. The community choice energy (CCE) agency is one of 19…
Grand jury report offers insight into Cuyama school district embezzlement
A Santa Barbara County grand jury recently released its report on a school district in Cuyama, concluding that inadequacies in the district’s business office may have contributed to the “mysterious disappearance” of district funds in the spring of 2018. In the report released on May 20, the jury details issues it found in the Cuyama…
County mental health provider declares bankruptcy
The vendor responsible for running two Santa Barbara County facilities that house and assist clients with mental illnesses declared bankruptcy in late April, forcing county supervisors to quickly approve replacements before clients were released. On May 8, Anka Behavioral Health notified the county that it had filed for bankruptcy on April 30 and would discontinue…
Local organizations push for tobacco flavor ban despite state failure
A state bill that would have banned flavored tobacco products entirely in California recently stalled out, but that’s not stopping local tobacco prevention advocates from pushing for similar ordinances on the Central Coast. State Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) announced on May 23 plans to withdraw Senate Bill 38, a bill that would have prohibited…
Spotlight on: Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County, Senior meal programs
Millions of senior citizens in the U.S. are threatened by food insecurity and malnutrition each year. Nearly 7.8 percent of all senior households in the country were food insecure in 2016, according to data collected by the National Council on Aging, including 18 percent of Latino seniors. Seniors face a number of challenges when it…
Local jurisdictions prepare for changes to, potential challenges of the 2020 census
Next year’s decennial census features changes to the process that some believe could affect the accuracy of its results. This could be a problem in Santa Maria and other parts of Santa Barbara County, where ensuring an accurate count is already a challenge. For the first time since its inception in 1790, the census survey…
HOBNOBBING: Wishes do come true
What a special day! On Tuesday, May 21, the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara held its annual North County reception at the Far Western in Orcutt. About 75 people came to enjoy camaraderie, wine, and appetizers in the pleasing ambience of the restaurant’s second floor banquet room. Allan Hancock College President Kevin Walthers and Santa…
Political Watch May 30, 2019
• On May 21, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), and Kamala Harris (D-California) wrote a letter to U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, urging her to designate Vandenberg Air Force Base as U.S. Space Command Headquarters. The letter followed the Air Force’s release of six potential locations for the…
The Book Loft hosts Clover Blue book signing
Local author Eldonna Edwards will be signing copies of her new book, Clover Blue, at the Book Loft in Solvang on Saturday, June 8, from 1 to 2 p.m. The novel is a coming-of-age tale set during the 1970s in Northern California. The 12-year-old Clover Blue lives at a commune known as the Saffron Freedom…
Fesler Drama Club presents ‘The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe’
The Fesler Junior High Drama Club holds its first performance of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe—a theatrical adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ classic novel—on Friday, May 31, at 7 p.m. Two more performances take place the following day, Saturday, June 1, at 2 and 7 p.m. Chanel Corpuz directs this dramatization of the beloved…
Hancock College honors retiring faculty and staff
Allan Hancock College honored 20 retiring faculty and staff members during a recognition ceremony on Thursday, May 16. Dance professor Dianne McMahon, retiring after 38 years, and English professor Marla Allegre, retiring after 31 years, were among the honorees. McMahon started her career at the college as a dance instructor and is retiring as the…
Susanne Schenck exhibits travel and nature photography at Grossman Gallery
Born and raised in Sweden, photographer Susanne Schenck developed a passion for nature and wildlife long before ever picking up a camera. One consistent source of nostalgia for Schenck is the memory of her childhood home, near a forest just 1 mile outside the small town of Osby. “We had a huge meadow—several acres—in front…
Pastel artist Jim Tyler captures intimate glimpses of everyday life through light and shadow
Jim Tyler almost always paints from photographs, and they’re usually ones he’s taken himself. Although it’s currently a matter of preference, Tyler first approached the method when it was practically his only option. “I had a career in computer engineering, and the only time I had for art was later at night—right after work and…
Boz Scaggs brings Out of the Blues tour to Santa Ynez
If the name William Royce Scaggs doesn’t sound familiar, you might know this soft rock legend better by a particular schoolyard nickname he acquired during the days of his youth. I probably shouldn’t have spoiled the reveal in the headline, but it did get your attention, right? It was St. Mark’s School of Texas where…
Oversight, smoversight
Am I just jaded or is every political discussion these days fraught with an underlying tension of ideological dare-you-to-disagree with me mentality that just stops meaningful discussion in its tracks? It’s even infecting the usually even-tempered and respectful Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. We can thank the Sunrise Movement Santa Barbara—a band of very…
It’s time for the community to do something about the dangerous dunes that government agencies can’t or won’t
It’s long past time for the powers that be to corral the outlaw mentality at our local Dunes of Death, aka the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. I’m not sure they want reform, though. Their reaction to the recent carnage is the same “look the other way” mentality that has long dominated at the…
New coffee shop in old Orcutt offers sweet treats and hot drinks
As I’ve gotten older, and busier, and more addicted, my general discernment regarding coffee has waned considerably. Most mornings, I’m running late and chasing the fix—nuking whatever’s leftover from yesterday’s pot at home or swinging by McDonald’s to get three of their large $1 drips as if I’m doing the coffee run for the whole…
